Saying goodbye to a nearly 100-year-old tradition, the Miss America Pageant is swapping swimsuits for interviews.

For decades, Miss America was a beauty pageant, but in recent times there has been a gradual shift away from physical appearance with more emphasis on its scholarship program and the various platforms of the contestants such as violence against women, literacy, health issues, and children.

Now, the pageant board has decided to drop the swimsuit competition and replace it with televised interviews.

The question now is whether TV slumping TV ratings will rebound, or if this decision will only further diminish the pageant's popularity.

Reaction from former winners has been mixed with some supporting the new direction, while others express skepticism that the move is right for the pageant. More important, perhaps, is the question, is this a step forward for women, or a step back?

The fact is, we live in a different world than we did 20, 30, or 40 years ago. Words, phrases, labels, expressions, and policies that were perfectly fine 30  years ago are now considered politically incorrect and morally offensive. Women's issues have risen to the forefront of the political and social landscape whether it is salary inequality, sexual harassment, or women's health issues among others.

I have watched pageants with my wife for years and I never gave it a second thought, honestly, but it should not be surprising that an event that celebrates women would finally modify its process to more closely mirror 21st-century society attitudes.

We tend to be resistant to change, but in most cases, we find that the pain of change is not as intense as we thought it might be, and we quickly adapt to a new way. That's what I expect will happen with Miss America. The first time we see the pageant without swimsuits, we will miss them, but after that. it will soon feel like this new way is how it's always been.

Personally, I feel like the pageant is going to be fine with or without swimsuits and I don't have strong feelings about it either way. But, I'm interested in your thoughts and views. Take the poll below and let us know how you feel about the absence of swimsuits in the Miss America Pageant.

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